Apparatus for positioning structural members for drilling and like operations



May 1, 1934- H. H. MCcLlNTlc 1,956,904

APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING STRUCTURAL MEMBERS FOR DRILLING AND LIKEOPERATIONS Filed Deo. ll, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l May l, 1934- H. H.MocLlNTlc APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING STRUCTURAL MEMBERS FOR DRILLING ANDLIKE OPERATIONS Filed Deo. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR.

BY ATTORNEY iatented May l, i934 APPARATUS FOR POSITINNG- STRUC- TUR/FALMEIVEBERS FR DRLMING AND LIKE @PERATENS Howard H. McClintic,TPittsburgh, lla., assigner to McClintic-li/larshall Corporation, acorporation oi Eennsylvania Application December 11, 1931, Serial No.580,310

9 Claims.

rIhis invention relates to an apparatus for centering, holding andturning structural members to permit drilling, punching, riveting, orlike operations thereon, and the present invention is particularlydirected to the chuck mechanism employed in such apparatus, andconstitutes a continuation in part of my application Serial #282,143,iiled June i, 1928.

The prime object oi the present invention is 10 to provide new andimproved work engaging chucks especially designed for cooperating workwith the head and tail stocks of apparatus disclosed in my aioresaidapplication.

1n the accompanying drawings, which illustrate applications of myinvention:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view particularly showing a head stock withmy improved workengaging chuck incorporated therewith, the view alsoshowing a portion of the centering apparatus shown in my aforesaidapplication;

Fig. 2, a face view of the work-engaging chuck mechanism taken on line11-11 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 and 4, views similar to Fig. 2, showing modiiied forms of chuckmechanisms embodying my invention.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the mechanism for locking the drum tothe headstock as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring form of Fig.

or movable supporting body including a side member 11. The bed 1G isadapted to be mounted for longitudinal movement upon a series ofrollers, not shown.

1n practice, a head stock and a tail stock are movably mounted oncarriages slidable along the bed lil. In the present application, I haveshown only the head stock designated generally by the numeral l2,mounted on a carriage 13. Headstock l2 has a bracket 14 secured thereto,said bracket being designed to journal a shaft 15 adapted to be turnedthrough the operation ci a hand wheel. Keyed to shaft 15 is a pinion orgear wheel 16 designed to mesh' with a gear wheel 17 rigid in a shortshaft 18, journaled in bracket 14. 18 also has a pinion or gear wheel 19keyed thereto. Gear 19 is adapted to mesh with rack teeth 20 or" a sidemember l1. 21 designates the hand wheel for operating shaft 15 wherebythe carriage and its head-stock may be moved longitudinally of the bed.

Journaled in the body 22 or" the carriage 13 adjacent the upper portionthereoi, is a shaft of spindle 23 having a head or plate 24 to which adrum 25 is secured by bolts 26. rEhe drum 25 to the drawings, and iirstto the 1 10 designates a portion of a bed extends between the inner endof the body 22 and a vertical wall 27 integral therewith, which wallmounts short shafts 28 on which rollers 29 are iournaled and arranged incontact with the periphery of the drum 25 so as to assist in sustainingthe weight and strain imposed thereon, especially under the exceedinglyheavy work in connection with which the chuck is used.

Said drum 25 constitutes the base of the chuck proper, and carries adiametric block 30 provided with a centered longitudinal T-shaped slot31 extending completely therethrough. T-shaped studs 32 occupy and areslidably mounted in said slot 31. An adjusting screw 33 is centrallyjournaled, as at 34,- in the block 3i), and on the opposite sides of itsjournal 34 is provided with opposite screw threads 35 and 36, one halfof said threaded portions being received in a semi-circular recess 36aof the block 30. The studs 32 rest on the threads 35 and 36 and havecorresponding threads meshing therewith, so that, according to thedirection of rotation of the screw 33, the studs S2 will be moved closertogether or farther apart. To permit rotation of said screw 33, it isprovided with square sockets 37 to accommodate a key or turning tool.

The journal or bearing portion 34 may be engaged by a retaining strip 38detachably screwed or otherwise secured to the block 30, as at 39. Abolt or pivot member 40 is secured on the outer end of each stud 32 withits axis at right angles to the line or movement of the studs, and hastwo jaws or gripper members 4l pivoted thereon, said members beingreduced at their overlapping portions so that the upper and lower facesof the remainder thereoi will be in the same plane. Jaws 41 are retainedon the pivot members 40 by washers 40a and cap screws 40o.

In order to prevent collapse or displacement of the jaws 41 when notengaged with work, and particularly when moving relatively thereto, eachupper jaw 41 has a generally arcuate spring 43 fastened thereto at 44and which partially surrounds and resiliently supports the lower jaw 41from below. 1n addition, fixed lugs or stops 45 are provided on theblocks 32 which preclude lowering movement of the upper jaws 41. It willaccordingly be seen, that when the shaft 33 is turned in one direction,the threads 35 and 36 will move the studs 32 toward each other, so thatthe free ends of the jaws 41 will be moved toward each other and intoengagement with the work. Thus, in the form of Fig. 2, the jaws 41 willspread and engage in the interior corners of the l-l-shaped beam or workW, thus centering lli.)

and tightly gripping and holding it. In order to release the work, saidshaft 33 is turned in the opposite direction, so that the jaws will bemoved away from and out of engagement with the work, thereby causingrelative contraction of the jaws.

A similar drum and chuck may be employed in conjunction with the usualform of tail stock, not shown, and are always free for rotation toaccommodate adjustment of the work. The drum and chuck of the head stockhowever, are adapted to be securely locked and held in differentpositions according to the particular drilling or operations to whichthe work is to be subjected. In this connection, the H-beam W may bemoved to occupy four different positions with respect to a drilling toolor other apparatus for working on the beam, and therefore, four lockingrecesses 47 are provided in the drum 25 of the head stock.

Adapted to enter said recesses 47 is a bolt or rod 48 which is slidablymounted in suitable bearings 49 on the head stock body 22. Secured tothe bolt 48 at 50 are spaced collars 51 and 52. An expansive coil spring53 is positioned on shaft 48, between collar 51 and a bearing 49,towards the projection of bolt 48 so that it will automatically enterone of the recesses 47 when brought into register therewith.

A retracting lever to move bolt 48 out of the recesses 47 is provided at54, such lever having a yoke 55 engaging the bolt 48 between the collars51 and 52, and having one of its arms 56 extended and pivotally boltedor otherwise fastened,

. as at 57, to an angle bracket 58 secured to the head stock body 22.

In addition, the spindle 23 of the head stock has a worm wheel 60 keyedto its outer end and which is in mesh with a worm 6'1 located at the topthereof. Worm 61 has a hand wheel 52 secured thereto. Said worm wheel 60and worm 6l are housed within and protected by a suitable sectionalcasing 63 fastened to the head stock body 22. Through the turning of thehand wheel 62 and intermeshing of gears 6l and 60, when bolt 48 isretracted, the spindle 23 of the head stock may be turned so as tocorrespondingly turn its chuck, the work held thereby, and the chuck andspindle of a tail stop.

3 illustrates a modified forni of my invention. In this form the chuckis particularly adapted to grip and secure a channel member C fordrilling and like operations. As illustrated, one of the studs 32 mountsa backing member or abutment 64 by means of its pivot 40, said abutmentmember having a flat face 65 thereon for engaging the back of the web ofthe channel member.

The other stud 32 is provided with jaws 41 as before, for engagement inthe angles between the iianges and web of the channel C. Rotation of thescrew 33 in the proper direction will move the studs 32 toward eachother to firmly clamp and retain the channel between the jaws 41 and theabutment 64. i

A further modification is shown in Fig. 4, wherein two spaced-apartmembers or abutments 66 are securely fastened to the drum 25 by means ofsuitable screws or bolts 67. Said abutments are provided with flat faces68 disposed in parallelism for Contact by angle members A. The two pairsof jaws 41 are employed as before, and engage the angles between theiianges of the members A as shown, to securely clamp said members aminst the faces 68 of the members 66. In

this manner, four angle members A may be held for drilling, riveting,etc. at one operation.

Thus it will be seen, that by means of my invention, various shapes andsizes of structural members may be readily centered and clamped by thechuck, and by the rotation thereof, be readily brought into workingposition to enable drilling, riveting, etc. on any side or face of saidstructural members.

I claim:

1. A chuck of the character described, com-- prising relatively movablemounting elements, a pair of jaws pivoted to each element, meanspreventing displacement of one of the jaws or" each element whendisengaged from the work, and arcuate spring members extending from thelast mentioned jaws and engaging the remaining jaws to preventdisplacement of the latter when disengaged from the work.

2. A chuck of the character described, comprising a block, relativelymovable members onl said block, pairs of jaws pivoted at right angles tothe line of movement of said members, elements preventing displacementof one of each of said pairs of jaws when disengaged from the work, andelements embracing each pair or" jaws for preventing displacement of theremaining jaws when disengaged from the work.

3. A chuck of the character described, comprising a rotatable member,relatively movable mounting elements thereon, a pair of jaws pivoted toeach element, means preventing displacement of one of the jaws of eachelement when disengaged from the work, and arcuate spring membersextending from the last mentioned jaws and engaging the remaining jawsto prevent displacement of the latter when disengaged from the work.

4. A chuck of the character described, comprising a rotatable drum, adiametric block on the drum, relatively movable mounting elements onsaid block, a pair of jaws pivoted to each element, means preventingdisplacement of one of the jaws of each element when disengaged from thework, and arcuate spring members exf,

tending from the last mentioned jaws and engaging the remaining jaws toprevent displacement of the latter when disengaged from the work.

5. A chuck of the character described, comprising a rotatable drum, adiametric block on the drum having a T-slot therein, T-shaped studs insaid slot, means engaging said studs for imparting relative movementthereto, work-engaging means mounted on the studs, one of said meansincluding separate members forming a pair of jaws pivoted to a stud attheir meeting ends, the free ends of said jaws being capable ofexpansion relative to each other when engaging the work,

means to contract the jaws, and means for pre-` venting displacement ofthe jaws when disengaged from the work.

6. A chuck of the character described, comprising a rotatable member,relatively movable elements thereon, means for imparting relativeplacement of the jaws when said jaws are disengaged from the work,

7. A chuck of the character described including a rotatable member,relatively movable mounting elements, a block support for the mountingelements, screw actuating means oooperating with said elements andblock, separate work engaging jaws hinged at one end carried by themounting elements, said jaws being capable of relative expansion whentheir free ends are pressed against the work by the movement of thescrew actuated mounting elements.

8. A chuck of the character described including a rotatable member,relatively movable mounting elements, a block support for the mountingelements, screw actuating means cooperating with said elements andblock, work engaging means carried by the mounting elements, said workengaging means comprising separate members arranged to form a pair ofjaws pivoted at their fixed ends to one of said mounting elements, andan abutment member carried by the other mounting element.

9. A chuck of the character described including a rotatable member,relatively movable mounting elements, a block support for the mountingelements, screw actuating means cooperating with said elements andblock, work engaging means carried by the mounting elements, said workengaging means comprising separate members arranged to form a pair ofjaws pivoted at their Xed ends to one of said mounting elements, thefree ends of said jaws being capable of relative expansion orcontraction when engaging or disengaging the work respectively, means tocontract the jaws, an abutment member carried by the other mountingelement, and means for preventing the displacement of said jaws andabutment when disengaged from the work.

HOWARD H. MCCLINTIC.

Cia

